Salary Calculator South Africa

Gross vs net salary in South Africa

Your gross salary is what your employment contract says. Your net (take-home) salary is what actually lands in your bank account each month after statutory and voluntary deductions. Understanding the gap between the two is the single most important thing when comparing job offers or negotiating a raise in South Africa.

Statutory deductions

• PAYE — income tax on the SARS sliding scale, less your rebates and medical credits.
• UIF (1%) — capped at R177.12 per month on the R17,712 ceiling.

Common voluntary deductions

• Retirement fund / pension / provident fund contributions (tax deductible up to 27.5% of remuneration, R350,000 cap).
• Medical aid — reduces PAYE via the medical tax credit.
• Group life or disability cover.
• Garnishee or emoluments attachment orders (EAOs).
• Union dues.

Take-home benchmarks (2025/26)

Rough take-home ratios you can use for negotiation:

• R10,000 gross → ~R9,530 net (before medical/retirement).
• R25,000 gross → ~R20,900 net.
• R50,000 gross → ~R37,300 net.
• R100,000 gross → ~R67,900 net.

Payslip must-haves under the BCEA

Section 33 of the Basic Conditions of Employment Act requires every payslip to show employer name and address, employee name and occupation, pay period, ordinary and overtime hours, gross wage, all deductions itemised, and net pay. Payroll Africa produces compliant payslips automatically.